Evan Lysacek: Change of seasons signals last lap toward Vancouver Olympics

Evan Lysacek, a native of the Chicago area, has called Los Angeles home since he moved here in 2003 to train in El Segundo with renowned coach Frank Carroll. With Carroll standing at the boards to support him, he won the world championship in March at Staples Center. When he's not practicing, competing, skating in shows or getting his costumes designed by Vera Wang, he's an occasional contributor to The Times' Olympics blog.

He took time from preparing for "Improv on Ice," a show in which he'll share the spotlight Tuesday at the Honda Center with Turin Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen and the Goo Goo Dolls, to compose another post.

As I walked out of a Coca-Cola Olympic celebration reception on Friday night at Millennium Park in Chicago, and had trouble distinguishing the precipitation, it was clear that fall has arrived.

With fall comes the start of the figure skating season, but this season will be unlike any other for me.

The first major difference is that each event this year is a step closer to the 2010 Olympic Games in February.

The second difference is that I come in as the reigning world champion, a title that I earned in March at Staples Center in my hometown of Los Angeles.

With that title has come a considerable amount of opportunity. I've spent the "off-season" traveling the world skating in shows and TV specials, shooting commercials and photos for sponsors, working with NBC on its Olympic promotions, making appearances trying to spread Olympic spirit and excitement, working in Toronto and New York on new programs and costumes for the competitive season, and of course I've been training
for the big event.

Now, as I prepare for my last show of the season, "Improv on Ice" at the Honda Center, my focus is changing. I'm trying to limit the amount of time that I spend away from the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo. From now until February, that will be my new home, and I will drill new jump technique, different spin positions,
fresh choreography, and I will run through my new short and free skate routines until I can recite them backward and forward.

It's been the most fun and exciting summer of my life, but now that fall is here, it's time to put my game face on!!!

-- Evan Lysacek

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